Three players who have been linked with moves to Boro in the last year are all in the news today.

With a World Cup looming, clubs are looking to burst out of the blocks and get deals done as early as possible this summer.

We bring you the latest round-up of transfer paper talk.

Ex-Boro target in demand again

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard targets Liverpool player.

That's something you're likely to read a lot over the course of the coming weeks and months.

Well one of the Liverpool players who Gerrard is reportedly keen on this summer is ex-Boro target Ryan Kent.

According to The Sun , Gerrard is interested in taking the 21-year-old to Ibrox on a season-long loan deal.

Kent is no stranger to speculation when the window opens. He was very much in-demand last summer with several Championship clubs - including Boro - monitoring him before he ended up moving to Germany and signing for Freiburg on loan.

That didn't work out and neither did a loan switch to Bristol City in the second half of the season.

Liverpool's Ryan Kent (Image: Liverpool Echo)

"Ryan hasn’t done it to how we would have hoped in our team for whatever reason," said City boss Lee Johnson.

"He came into a club with big expectations and for whatever reason it hasn’t quite worked as we would have all hoped."

Johnson did, though, describe Kent as a "great player" and if, as expected, Jurgen Klopp allows him to leave again this summer, several clubs will be keen.

Gerrard will hope his Liverpool links gives him an advantage. Rangers are also said to be keen on the Welsh wonderkid Ben Woodburn and Harry Wilson, who impressed at Hull last season.

Staying with Rangers, Gerrard has reportedly told ex-Boro man Andy Halliday that he doesn't have a future at Ibrox. Halliday has been linked with Hibs.

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More Mitrovic talk

Another day, another Mitrovic tale.

The Evening Standard today say Fulham will make it a priority to sign the striker on a permanent deal - but only if they beat Villa in Saturday's play-off final.

As has previously been reported, Newcastle are said to be looking for £15m for Mitrovic this summer and the Standard say Fulham will only fork out that sort of cash if they're planning for life in the top flight.

The report also says Mitrovic's form for Fulham - he's bagged 12 goals - has alerted a string of other clubs who are keeping a close eye on his situation.

Slavisa Jokanovic, who was a key figure behind Mitrovic's decision to head for Fulham instead of Boro in January, is said to be confident he can convince the striker to stay in West London if the Cottagers are successful on Saturday evening.

"He is everything that I enjoy in a player. He gives you everything he's got. At 34 years old he is quite magnificent in terms of his fitness.

"He works like a beast, always first in - a manager's delight. If anyone deserves a contract, it's Alan Hutton.

"I can confirm to you now we will be talking to him next week, whichever division we are in. He deserves it. Playing left-back has probably enhanced him a bit. It's slowed him down a bit, he has to come back on his right foot to play. But since we moved him there he's gone to a different level."